The night pressed down heavy after Lin Qian's retreat. The gym fell silent except for the faint hum of cicadas outside.
Liang Meiyu stood frozen, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. The heat of her own words still clung to her lips. She had finally said it—finally stood against Lin Qian. And yet, victory felt hollow. Because now, Wen Haoran was here.
And his eyes…
They weren't the warm, teasing ones she'd grown used to. They weren't the kind that laughed easily, the kind that made her heart ache with comfort. No, tonight they were clouded, shadowed by something heavier.
"Haoran…" Her voice cracked softly.
He stepped closer, his bag hanging limply from one hand. His lips pressed into a thin line, as if he was fighting to hold back words that wanted to burst out.
"I didn't expect…" His voice trailed, low and uneven. "I didn't expect to find you here—with him."
The last word came out sharp, edged with bitterness.
Zhao Yichen stiffened beside her, his usual sharp-tongued retorts hovering unsaid. Instead, his eyes flicked toward Haoran, a challenge glinting there.
Meiyu's stomach twisted. She shook her head quickly, stepping forward. "No, it's not what it looks like. I—I didn't ask him to be here. He just…"
"Just what?" Haoran's laugh was short, hollow. "Just happened to be standing by your side when you needed someone? Just happened to step in when you couldn't speak?"
The words cut sharper than knives because they were true.
Meiyu opened her mouth, but no sound came.
Haoran exhaled harshly, his gaze flicking to Yichen again. "I get it now. He's always around, isn't he? Always watching. Always waiting."
"Don't twist this." Yichen's voice was low, calm but edged with steel. He stepped forward, his shadow falling between Meiyu and Haoran. "She was being cornered. I wasn't going to stand there and watch it happen."
Haoran's lips curled. "Of course not. You never stand still, do you? You charge in like you own everything—like you own her."
The words made Meiyu's breath hitch. She wanted to protest, to stop the spiral before it consumed them all, but her legs felt rooted to the ground.
Yichen's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. "You're imagining things."
"Am I?" Haoran's voice rose, sharp in the quiet night. "Then why is it always you? Why do the rumors tie her name to yours? Why do you look at her like—"
He cut himself off, his voice cracking before the confession could slip free. His hands curled into fists at his sides.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Finally, Haoran shook his head, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Forget it." He turned away, his shoulders stiff. "I shouldn't have come."
"Haoran!" Meiyu's voice broke as she reached for him. But he didn't look back. He disappeared into the night, his figure swallowed by the shadows.
The ache in her chest was suffocating.
For a long moment, she stood there trembling. Yichen remained at her side, silent, unreadable.
When she finally turned to him, her eyes stung with unshed tears. "Why… why does it have to be like this?"
He didn't answer right away. His gaze softened, just slightly. "Because the truth never comes without a fight."
---
The next morning, the classroom buzzed with whispers.
"Did you hear? Haoran stormed out last night."
"Yichen was with her again."
"No wonder Lin Qian's furious—she's completely losing to her."
Meiyu sat at her desk, her hands trembling over her open notebook. She couldn't focus on the blackboard, couldn't focus on anything except the memory of Haoran's eyes last night.
The guilt gnawed at her. She had wanted to protect both of them, to keep things simple. But nothing was simple anymore.
Yichen sat behind her, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, scanning the classroom as if daring anyone to speak louder. His presence was both shield and sword, but it only made the whispers more poisonous.
Haoran entered late, his usual smile nowhere to be found. He didn't even glance at her as he walked past, sliding into his seat. The coldness of it was like a blade in her chest.
Her pen slipped from her fingers. She bent down to pick it up—and froze.
Another folded paper lay beneath her desk.
Her blood ran cold as she unfolded it.
"You think speaking up will save you? You've only made yourself a bigger target. Watch carefully—your smile won't save you next time."
Her fingers shook so violently she nearly dropped it.
She glanced around, but no one was watching. No one except…
Lin Qian.
From across the room, Lin Qian leaned back in her seat, her lips curving into a cruel, knowing smile.
Meiyu's stomach churned. She had exposed Lin Qian once, but clearly that wasn't enough. If anything, she had only provoked her into something worse.
And for the first time, she wondered if Lin Qian's claws stretched further than she had ever imagined.
---
That evening, the tension boiled over.
Haoran finally cornered her by the library gates.
"Meiyu." His voice was rough, stripped of its usual warmth. "Tell me the truth. Do you… like him?"
Her heart stopped.
She opened her mouth, but before a word could form—
Her phone buzzed violently.
Another message lit up the screen.
[Anonymous]: If you don't choose, I'll make sure the choice is ripped from you. Tomorrow, everyone will know the real you.]
Her breath caught. Her hands went cold.
And Haoran's eyes darkened as he noticed the message flash across her screen.
---